To record information about criminal incidents reported to police for use in police crime management.

Description

The Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) online database is fully relational and stores information about all crimes bought to the notice of police as well as family incidents and missing persons. It also includes details on locations and persons involved.

Known outcomesapplication for violence order
violence order issued offender charged offender went to court offender found guilty offender sentence type
child protection involvement
time off work / economic costs
medical treatment received / type
changed routine
other

1Health information is recorded as part of the State-wide Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework’s risk and vulnerability indicators.

Data Item

Incident

Location home workplace school/place of education/institution public place other

Relationship between partiesmarried/de facto spouse current / former partner/boyfriend/girlfriend parent-child
sibling
other member of household
other relatives
relationships of personal or financial dependency

Weapon use type of weapon

Alcohol involvedSubstance use involved

Physical injury sustainedtype of injury

Reported to policereasons for not reporting

Other

Number of recorded Family Incident reports

Definition of Family and Domestic Violence

Family Violence is defined in the Victoria Police Code of Practice for Investigation of Family Violence in accordance with the Family Violence Protection Act (2008). Family violence is defined as any behaviour, whether a criminal offence or not, that in any way controls or dominates a family member and causes them to feel fear for their own, or other family members’ safety or well-being. It includes violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in current or former family, domestic or intimate relationships.

Family means any family or family-like relationship, including current and former intimate partners, relatives, same-sex partners and carers.

Data prior to 2008 reflects the Crimes (Family Violence) Act 1987, under which Victoria Police were required to complete a family incident report if officers attended any form of conflict between related parties as defined by the Act.

Aspects of FDV captured in the data are:

Physical abuse

Sexual abuse

Psychological / Emotional abuse

Verbal abuse

Economic abuse

Social abuse

Property damage

Harassment and stalking

Relationship to Conceptual Framework for Family and Domestic Violence (Cat. No. 4529.0)

Conceptual Framework Element / Sub-element

Amount of Information Available

None

Some

Detailed

Context

Environmental Factors

Individual pyscho-social factors

Risk

Community prevalence

Community incidence

Understandings and acknowledgments of risk and safety

Incident

Responses

Informal responses

Formal system responses

Impacts/Outcomes

Programs, Research & Evaluation

Collection methodology

LEAP is a dynamic case management and data storage database designed primarily for operational policing purposes. Victoria Police update existing records with new information as it becomes available, and revise records when investigation identifies additional information. The Central Data Entry Bureau of Victoria Police also amends records when quality control checks identify inaccurate or incomplete information.

Only the most serious offence which best describes a distinct course of criminal conduct is recorded in official crime statistics, even though an offender may be charged with other offences resulting from the one incident.

Police officers are required to complete a family violence report when they attend a family violence incident. Since 1 September 2004 police officers are also required to complete a family violence risk assessment report and these are available on LEAP from 9 December 2005.

Only those offences which become known to police and for which a crime report has been completed are included in the statistics.

Geographic coverage and disaggregation

Victoria. Full address recorded

Data available for:VictoriaLocal Government Area (LGA)Police Service Area

Frequency / Timing

Updated continually and downloaded daily for statistical purposesDetailed crime statistics are published annually

Collection history

Collection commenced: 9 December 2005

Breaks in series: no

Other details: n/a

Data availability / Dissemination

Data are published regularly on the Victoria police website and in annual reports. Data are also provided to the Victorian Family Violence Database.Additional data may be available on request, excluding current financial year data.

Other data sources held by this agency

n/a

Has this data source changed? Contact the ABSto report updates or corrections to the information above.

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